This week I came across a map in “Business Insider” which identified the chief international import of each state and the District of Columbia. Some statistics are counter to what one would think of a situation, and others reinforce a belief. Probably rare is the statistic that will accomplish both. Yet, that is what the 2015 import statistic for Wisconsin provided to me. This blog post will explain this odd situation, paradox if you will, and why it resonates.
The United States is a vast highly developed country that uses more oil and natural gas than any other country in the world. We like the independence and privacy our cars and homes provide In 2015 the United States used more oil than the next two countries (China and India) combined. In consumption of natural gas, the European Union and Russia combined used slightly more than the United States in 2015. Given the national dependence upon oil and natural gas, and that Wisconsin has no energy supplies, although plenty of frac sand, I thought the top international import for Wisconsin would be oil. Oil did not even make the list of the top 25 imports, which is by 2016 dollar value. The top import in in Wisconsin for 2015 was sweaters. Yes, you read that correctly—sweaters. But it only gets better, the top category is for sweaters of cotton or other natural fibers, the second top import was for sweaters made out of man-made material. The top two categories are for the same type of clothing. Sweaters is used as a general category which seems to also include pull-overs, which would also include sweatshirts. This post will primarily use the term on the map--sweaters.
Of the 51 entities for which a statistic was made available in the map, Wisconsin was the only one to have what the industry calls a soft-good as its top import. This, it seems is rather telling, apparently Wisconsinites like their sweaters. They wish to be comfy. Either that or they don’t know what else to give as a Christmas gift. There is also the work-place favorite of wearing and ugly Christmas sweater, perhaps the state demographics favor purchase of Christmas sweaters, leaving ugly to the eye of the beholder. In some places an ugly sweater may be considered something fun to break up the long dark nights of the north. Wisconsinites also seem to favor natural materials over synthetic materials. The data is not clear about how they calculate when both natural and synthetic material is involved in the same sweater. One can certainly understand sweaters as an import, since clothing manufacturing has gone overseas mostly to Asia. Asian sweatshops produce they products to keep prices low for consumers. This top import reinforces consistent stereo-types of Wisconsin, the land of the frozen tundra. We all know Wisconsin is cold, but so too are other northern Midwestern states.
Minnesota’s top import was crude oil. Maybe they like their heat. In any event Minnesota is probably partial to flannel. Think lumberjack red and black plaid flannel. Wisconsinites keep warm by using sweaters. I myself have several cotton sweaters that I wear to work, and sweatshirts that I wear at home. Wisconsinites love to drive, and heat their homes, but apparently not enough to warrant crude oil being such that it does even makes the list, which is the top 25 imports. Wisconsin oil could come from the United States, but why would that not be the case for Minnesota and Illinois? Minnesota is closer to the fields of Dakotas, and Illinois has some large refineries. Iowa’s top import is natural gas, even though they are closer to the natural gas fields of the west. Crude oil, was the top import for 13 states, and refined oil for three (Alaska, Maine, and New Hampshire). Wealth, in terms of employment and creation of value, comes not so much from the raw material as the processing of the material into useful items. For example, it may be dirty but processing of oil produces more jobs than simply having oil fields. Alaska exports crude (its 8th highest export) and then imports refined oil--from overseas. (Its other top ten exports items were either food, think fish, or other raw materials (zinc and lead). Lack of manufacturing can lead to a boom and bust economy.
Showing where wealth is concentrated, the top import in New York is diamonds, the non-industrial variety. While a consumer good, diamonds are certainly more discretionary than keeping warm. In Florida, the top import is non-monetary gold, which would equate to jewelry (like diamonds, consumer discretionary), or I suppose with the high elderly population for use in fillings. Some state imports don’t make sense. For example, cattle is the chief import for Nebraska, and I know they have a good number of slaughter houses, but do they import cattle to butcher? Beef is the chief import in South Dakota and one wonders why they have a penchant for beef from overseas compared to that grown nearby in other plain states. Six states, including the non-surprising California, have cars as their chief import. Michigan, long the standard bearer for American car manufacturing also has cars as its chief import.
Purchases can tell us a great deal about a culture. Anthropologists study past cultures by reviewing items found in their dumps, grave sites, and in the detritus of past homes. Diamonds and gold may last a long time, if they can be found, but crude oil is depleted and its use leaves a carbon footprint behind for future generations. As for those sweaters and Green Bay Packer or Wisconsin sweatshirts so common to us Wisconsinites, they will wither away leaving this number one purchase to the wiles of the internet. Wisconsinites, I think they can take some sense of pride in having chosen comfortable clothing as their top purchase in 2015. It is also possible that government employees had just recovered from the impact of Act 10 and decided to splurge--Wisconsin style--buy a new sweater or sweatshirt. It certainly sets Wisconsin apart from other states. It is an anomaly. Wisconsinites thus seem to be a practical people just wanting to stay warm.
The United States is a vast highly developed country that uses more oil and natural gas than any other country in the world. We like the independence and privacy our cars and homes provide In 2015 the United States used more oil than the next two countries (China and India) combined. In consumption of natural gas, the European Union and Russia combined used slightly more than the United States in 2015. Given the national dependence upon oil and natural gas, and that Wisconsin has no energy supplies, although plenty of frac sand, I thought the top international import for Wisconsin would be oil. Oil did not even make the list of the top 25 imports, which is by 2016 dollar value. The top import in in Wisconsin for 2015 was sweaters. Yes, you read that correctly—sweaters. But it only gets better, the top category is for sweaters of cotton or other natural fibers, the second top import was for sweaters made out of man-made material. The top two categories are for the same type of clothing. Sweaters is used as a general category which seems to also include pull-overs, which would also include sweatshirts. This post will primarily use the term on the map--sweaters.
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| 2015 Top International Imports by State (2016$) Source: Business Insider |
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| Cotton Sweater Google images |
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| Packer Sweatshirt Google images |
Purchases can tell us a great deal about a culture. Anthropologists study past cultures by reviewing items found in their dumps, grave sites, and in the detritus of past homes. Diamonds and gold may last a long time, if they can be found, but crude oil is depleted and its use leaves a carbon footprint behind for future generations. As for those sweaters and Green Bay Packer or Wisconsin sweatshirts so common to us Wisconsinites, they will wither away leaving this number one purchase to the wiles of the internet. Wisconsinites, I think they can take some sense of pride in having chosen comfortable clothing as their top purchase in 2015. It is also possible that government employees had just recovered from the impact of Act 10 and decided to splurge--Wisconsin style--buy a new sweater or sweatshirt. It certainly sets Wisconsin apart from other states. It is an anomaly. Wisconsinites thus seem to be a practical people just wanting to stay warm.
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